The Exploit
by Poison's Ivy
Summary: "So, I heard you wanted my attention", billionaire thieving Tim Scam said to her, all while sipping his wine calmly. "Well, you have it." Scam/Sam.
1. Chapter 1

**The Exploit**

 **Summary:** "So, I heard you wanted my attention", billionaire/thief Tim Scam said to her, all while sipping his wine calmly. "Well, you have it."

* * *

At his arrival the guards stood up from their seats and paved a path for him to cross over to the other side of the room. A long mahogany dining room table was in the center of the room she was just brought in to, and the guards flanking her side urged her to sit in the seat directly across of him, where he was seated at the head of the table.

"Mr. Scam", the guard next to her stated. Sam gripped the edges of the chair's arms and tried to quickly assess a way out of here. "Should we restrain her?"

Scam chuckled and shook his head, motioning at another guard to bring something closer. Sam looked to her right and saw the guard bringing a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Fourteen guards, Scam and her. Eight vacant dining room chairs and a wine glass. She could work with that.

The guard with the bottle uncorked it and poured the red wine into the two glasses, and then delivered a glass to Scam and one to her. She looked at it warily but still gripped the handle of the glass in her hand.

While sipping at his wine and staring directly at her, Scam smirked and said, "You may leave."

Immediately all fourteen guards left her and Scam alone in the room. She listened carefully to the sound of the door locking and the alarm being put back in place. Shit. She was on her own. Dean could barely get their team into Scam's crazy security system in the first place and now they were screwed. She only hoped that Clover didn't mind her swapping jobs because now she had to act her way out of Scam's hands.

"So, I heard you wanted my attention", Scam stated while sipping his wine. "You have it."

Sam took a deep breath and remembered Clover's lessons. She just had to fool Scam long enough for Alex to steal the painting and they were good to go. She raised her eyebrows and smiled in response. "And here I thought you wanted _my_ attention?"

Scam chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "In that dress? You knew I wouldn't miss you a mile away."

Sam bit her lip and willed herself to blush while she looked down to act embarrassed. Good. This was good. A little unnerving because all of their intel on Scam told them that he was into blondes, so they were sure that he would go for Clover in whatever sexy dress she managed to flawlessly pull off.

So either he seriously covered all of his bases by pretending to date blonde women so that they would be thrown off when they tried to con him, or he had a thing for redheads in black, backless dresses. She could work with that.

"Well I can't say I regret putting this thing on then", she said with a smile, while also leaning back and staring him down. God she hoped Alex stole the painting and booked it out of there with Clover by now because she didn't know how long she could keep this up.

Scam's eyes darkened a little. "And what do I have to do to make sure it comes off?" She pursed her lips. Holy shit.

Morally speaking she shouldn't be finding a ruthless thieving billionaire so attractive, and she definitely shouldn't sleep with a total stranger, but for the first time in her life she … kind of wanted to?

' _So this is what Clover's talking about. Stay focused Sam'._ "You like to move fast. Maybe get my name first?" She suggested.

A slight buzz rang in her right ear and soon she heard Clover's voice _. "Sam, I'm out of the ballroom but haven't heard from Alex yet. I'm going to go look for her. Also super proud of your flirting game right now; I have taught you so well."_

Sam coughed slightly in response. She had to keep Scam distracted for a little longer.

Scam smiled, "Melanie Marks. I like to do my homework."

" _I'm in the vents. Almost there."_ Alex said into her ear piece. Sam smiled. "That's good. Keep going. What else do you already know about me?"

Scam raised an eyebrow and took another sip out of his glass. "Eager to find out how thoroughly I do my research?"

Sam smiled deviously and rested her elbows in a crossed arm fashion on the table. "More like seeing how fast we can move past pleasantries."

Scam barked back a laugh and stood up from his seat while placing his wine glass back on the table. He sauntered forward with his hands in his pockets and sat at the edge of the table next to her. From here she could feel his body heat pressing into her skin.

"So, what brings you to my party, Miss Marks?"

Dean started talking, _"Alright Alex, make the third left and you'll be right above the Monet. Video feed is on a loop. Security guards rotate out and you have thirty seconds to make the switch."_

" _I'm in position. Getting the painting now. Be out in five.",_ said Alex's voice.

Clover's voice spoke up. _"Sam, can you get out of there on your own or do you need a distraction? I'm in the car now."_ Sam smiled as she looked up at Scam.

"Well, I'm a big fan of art. You have one of the best collections in the world. Except I got very…" Sam dragged a hand along the outer lining of his pants. "Distracted."

" _Understood. One distraction coming right up in five."_ Dean stated.

Scam grabbed her hand and pulled her up, kicking the chair she was sitting in away and pulling her into the V of his legs.

"I'm glad to see I had as much of an effect on you as you had on me", he said, his lips brushing against her jaw. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye while his hand, undeniably hot, was resting just above her backside where the dress ended. Sam smirked and leaned into him, letting her nose brush close to his and barely touching his lips.

" _Paintings swapped. Leaving now."_

" _Copy that. Tenth black car from the valet area. Sam, you ready?"_

Scam slotted his lips right over hers while pressing her closer to him with the hand he had on her back. She quickly ran her hands from his thighs up to his chest, and then moved her left hand to grip his neck. He opened his mouth slightly and she reciprocated, and then gripped his tie and used the traction to pull his head down closer to her.

Dean laughed. _"Oh great, now she decides to take a page out of your book Clover. I'm setting off the bomb in 3, 2, -"_

A large explosion rocked the building and Sam moved up and away in shock, letting "Melanie" become the scared, helpless citizen she was supposed to be.

"What was that?" she asked in the midst of the alarm. The guards burst into their locked room immediately after.

"Mr. Scam, are you alright?"

Scam rolled his eyes and got up from the table. "It's a security breach. Something you should be investigating, hmm?" he said looking pointedly at his guards. They nodded and ran off to investigate. He took her hand in his and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and running a hand down her legs. "This dress is stupidly long."

Sam laughed as best as she could while trying not to freak out. "I thought you liked it?"

Alex nervously chuckled. _"Okay… so he didn't investigate the explosion as planned. Sammie, figure out why and get out of there. We got what we wanted."_

"I do like it, very much. But maybe wear something a little shorter next time", he said with a smile that she could feel against her neck. He continued kissing her neck and the sensation went to her toes.

' _Next time? Jeez I have to get out of here.'_ "A-aren't you, um that's, that's nice, but um—" God he was distracting. She wasn't lying earlier. She clutched the edge of his suit jacket tighter. "Aren't you worried about the um, oh my God."

Scam looked up, mildly annoyed that he had to stop but still smiling. "I'll let you in on a little secret. All my paintings on display? They're fake."

" _What?"_ Sam heard Clover and Alex scream in shock. Sam's eyes widened and her breath shook a little. "What?"

Scam nodded and leaned back. "I keep the real ones hidden away so that any thieves who invited themselves to my party only steal a replica. I make them myself."

 _Clover cursed under her breath. "I didn't know he was a forger."_

 _Alex made a noise of agreement. "Dudes, the painting I lifted looked super legit. He's probably as good as you Sammie."_

Remember the mission Sam. Remember the mission. Melanie would be happy. "So that's good! I didn't know you could paint. They looked so… real." she said smiling while trying to not reveal the bubbling anger under her skin. All this work for nothing. That Monet took her nine hours to paint and two hours for Alex to smuggle the exact shade of white she needed for it.

Scam nodded and pushed the hair on the right side of her face behind her ear, only to cup her head and bring her closer. "A cause for celebration, hmm?" His lips descended onto hers and she would have gotten lost in the flurry of kisses if it weren't for Clover speaking into her ear.

" _Sammie, no one understands better than me that he is super hot, but we have to leave in two minutes. Seriously. They're starting car checks."_

Sam moved back a little and cupped his jaw. "Don't get me wrong", she whispered to him with hooded eyes. "This is very, _very_ nice, but I don't move this fast without dinner first".

Scam chuckled and released her. "Why don't I walk you to the front door?" Sam nodded and he walked her out of the room with his hand burning into the skin of her bare back. This stupid dress. Brought her too much attention.

 _Alex sighed. "Is that my cue to hide in the trunk? Dammit."_

"When can I see you again, _Mr. Scam_?" she asked him teasingly while they walked quietly amongst the chaos of the explosion.

He brought her closer so that she could lean against him. "How's next Friday? The Bellagio? I'll pick you up."

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Already know my address? My, my. You _do_ do your homework." They were getting closer to the door and Sam could see their car coming next in line, with Clover dressed as a driver with her hair tucked into a hat.

Scam smiled at that. "I'm very good at what I do. As I'm sure you'll see soon enough. At dinner."

As they reached the door, Scam spun her around and gave her one last kiss, and the feel of him pressing into her brought a heat to her core that she knew was _probably_ very wrong to keep feeling. Desiring their mark was in bad form. Especially when he just pulled one over on them. She should be angry. _Very_ angry. But wow he was very… distracting.

"By the way", he whispered, cupping her jaw tenderly. "Remember the dress. And I might as well take the time to tell you I don't enjoy having an audience."

' _An audience? What was he talking about?'_ she wondered. She shrugged in response. "I'm a pretty private person myself Mr. Scam."

Scam kept his grip around her waist and smirked. "I think we know each other well enough by now that you can call me Tim, _Samantha._ "

Sam froze at the sound of her real name and she could hear Clover and Alex gasp over the communicators. _'Play with this Sam'_ , she thought to herself, _'It's okay'._ "You… already forgot my name?"

Scam shook his head while smiling broadly, as if laughing at her. He never let go of his grip on her waist. "You can drop the act. I do my homework, and I am very thorough. Something that I expected out of you but… clearly your intel was wrong tonight. Tsk. Try harder next time, hmm? I'm really looking forward to it."

" _Go for the jealous, scorned lover act Sam."_ Clover said into her ear.

Sam licked her lips and gulped. This wasn't good. "My name is Melanie, _Tim._ So I guess I won't be seeing you again if you can't even remember my _name_ five minutes after meeting me."

Scam tsked and turned her back around, leading her to her car. Clover did her best to look straight ahead with her sunglasses on, and Alex wasn't visible. Right before she got into the car, he caught her left wrist and put his head near her right ear. She could feel the muscles of his chest press into her back.

"I'll see you Friday Samantha. And remember, no audiences." And with that he pulled the communicator out of her ear and held it up victoriously with a smirk on his face. Sam whipped around and glared at him, and he just raised an eyebrow, daring her to do something.

She smiled sweetly. "This isn't over."

Scam smirked back and chuckled, putting his hand behind her so that he could open the door for her. He gestured for her to get in. She wanted to kick him in the face so badly. "Of course not Samantha."

Sam rolled her eyes and got into the car, all while glaring at him. Before Scam let her go he crouched down and peered into the car. "Oh and remember, short dress. That's the least you could do after you tried to steal from me."

And with that he shut the door in her face.

She was going to _kill_ him.

* * *

 **Can you tell I've been watching too much Leverage and White Collar?**

 **Been dying for a Con Artist/Thieves!Scam/Sam AU and realized I'd have to make my own. This could be read alone as a one shot but there's still so much more to this story that I want to tell, so I'll be continuing it. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So MY BAD. I actually wrote this such a long time ago, but wasn't super happy with the chapter until recently.**

* * *

Clover drove out of the driveway and immediately pulled her own communicator out of her ear and gave it to Sam who crushed it with her shoes. Turning around to face the backseat, Sam tapped three times, letting Alex know she could come out of the trunk and once she did, Sam crushed her communicator as well.

The girls stayed silent until Sam pulled up her compowder, where she texted Dean to tell her they were made and all communication systems were offline. Once they were clear, Sam bent down and ripped off her shoes angrily. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

Clover nodded in agreement while pulling the cap off her head. "I know right! I researched the hell out of this guy and _nothing_ in my review told me he was a forger!"

Alex popped her head out from the backseat. "Um more importantly, how the hell did he know Sam's name?"

Sam scoffed, "Yeah Clover. Isn't that the bigger issue here? My cover is blown! We need to call Jerry."

Clover sighed and pressed a few buttons on the command screen. "At least it seems like he just wants to fuck you and not rat you out to the cops."

Sam slapped a hand against her forehead and bit her lip to stop herself from ripping Clover a new one. "Not the point here Clover", Sam said through gritted teeth.

Jerry's face materialized onto the screen. "Yes girls?"

"Jerry", Sam said while removing her earrings. "I've been made. I need my Martin passports ready—"

"Okay no!" Clover exclaimed, pushing Sam out of the frame. "Jerry, Tim Scam is a forger, a seriously good one if Alex couldn't immediately see it was a fake—"

"—Hey, hey! Give me like _two_ minutes and I'll verify it's a phony give me some credit okay it was _dark_ —"

Clover went on as if Alex didn't interrupt. "And he knows who Sam is, but! We can use this!"

Sam rolled her eyes, "The next time I see him will be in a body bag—"

"Girls. GIRLS!" Jerry shouted until the three of them stopped trying to talk over each other. "It's alright. Sam, you know for sure he knows your identity?"

Sam nodded. "He said Samantha."

Clover rolled her eyes, "He didn't say Samantha _Simpson_ , don't you have like four aliases with the same first name c'mon. Don't burn another alias for this guy, especially! When. He's. Into. You."

Jerry raised an eyebrow and Clover hurried to explain. "He wants to see Sam again, for you know, a _date_. He could barely keep his hands off her and _someone_ doesn't want to use this!" Clover said, glaringly accusingly at Sam.

"He tricked us! How did he even know we were on comm's?"

"Oh, _I don't know,_ maybe it's because there was barely any space between you two?" Clover rolled her eyes. "Like no judgement, totally one hundred percent would have done the same, but it's not _that_ hard to figure out."

"Girls!" Jerry exclaimed, a rosy blush on his cheeks. Alex was already fiddling with something in her hands, very used to Clover and Sam's arguments.

Jerry turned to Sam. "Sam, I understand your concern. It's best to lay low for a while. I want the three of you to scatter and let the heat die down before the next job."

Clover's jaw dropped. "No! Sam has a date with Scam next week." She turned to Sam, "Don't tell me you're not _dying_ to get your revenge on him? This is our chance!"

"Hey this is a pretty good forgery", Alex said from the back. Apparently while Sam and Clover had been arguing, she rolled out the painting and the canvas encompassed the back of the car. Everyone turned to look at her. "Like, Sammie look at this", Alex said as she pointed to a portion of the painting, "Isn't this color dynamic stippling what you also do? He got it down cold. Oh! And the paint looks so authentic at first glance. It'd take at least a week in the lab to figure out it's a forgery."

"Knowing Tim Scam's methods _would_ be ideal..." Jerry said while cupping his chin in thought. "In fact, he caught the four of you completely off guard. We thought he bought most of those paintings legally, yet maybe he stole most of them and made it look like there was a legitimate money trail."

' _Great, I know where this is leading.'_ Sam thought while crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair. No point in contributing to the conversation anymore was there? Everyone seemed to have made up their minds.

"I say we vote on it", Clover said, turning into the driveway of the hotel. "All in favor of Sam seducing this guy out of everything he's worth say aye. Call Dean. He needs a vote. We'll call you later Jer." She said as Alex handed Sam a duffle bag. Jerry disappeared from view as Sam took her clothes out.

"No! Clover oh my God. I'm not good at this." Sam exclaimed, changing into leggings and a T-shirt. "I obviously ruined the mission for us and he's going to see another con coming."

Alex piped up from the back. "Well I mean we don't have to do this if you don't want to Sam. But... it would be a good way to learn how to do this better? I mean I thought we were good but Scam's clearly another level."

Clover parked the car and turned to face Sam. "Sammie listen to me. Let's do a long con. Convince this guy to trust you enough so that when he least sees it coming, we rob him. Show him not to mess with us."

Sam tied her hair into a ponytail. "But—"

"No buts! Sam I've never heard you so confident around a guy, like, ever. Clearly you're on your toes around him which is a good thing!" She put a hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezed it. "He brings out a side of you that you could, no offense, kinda practice more. If anyone messed this mission up, it's me. I didn't gather right intel and we went in blind. I'm sorry."

Sam sighed and brought her friends in for a hug, as much as they could with the car seats in the way. "I love you girls. Fine. I'll think about it, okay? For now I'll lay low. If Scam can still find me in a week, then I might as well go on the offense and play him for what he's worth."

Clover and Alex smiled. "Deal."

Sam waited until Clover pulled up to their hotel and all but ran out of the car, bag in tow. While normally she would have waited for them, she was tired and exhausted and mostly embarrassed.

She knew they had a point; a really good point. But this flirtation/seduction/actress role she needed to con Scam was not her forte in the slightest.

Clover was right in saying that this was a good way to practice those skills but... if she was being honest with herself, Sam knew that deep down, there was no acting involved. She wasn't even sure where that came from. Sighing as she waited for the elevator, Sam contemplated the pros and cons of going after a man like Tim Scam. A man who, clearly, knew what he was doing. She and the team were a well balanced, well oiled machine. But Tim Scam, from all their reports, seemed to work alone despite all the bodyguards he surrounded himself with, and yet he bested all of them today.

 _Maybe this is a bad idea_ , she wondered as she pressed the button for the fifth floor.

Glancing at her phone, with a slight worry that he already found her, Sam stepped out of the elevator, without a glance at anyone behind her. She started typing an encrypted message out to Clover, Alex and Dean, with plans to lay low. She herself had to pack her things and maybe move to her New York or Texas address depending on how warm or cold weather she felt like dealing with. They could go after Scam another day, when he didn't see them coming a mile away. That way they had more time to plan, especially now that they knew he forged his own paintings well enough to pass as the real things.

With eyes still on her phone, she grabbed the keycard out of her wallet and slid it through the lock.

And the first thing her eyes fell on were the red roses sitting on her desk, roses that distinctly were _not_ there this morning when she left for Scam's party.

Sam gulped. She knew who they were from, and a cold terror went down her back. If he found her this easily, not even hours after they left his home, then there was no escaping to another state to lay low. He'd just find them, her, again, and it would blow their entire operation. They had to deal with him _now_.

Closing her eyes and steeling herself for the next move, Sam picked up her phone and dialed his number.


	3. Chapter 3

"Matosia Gallery, how may I direct you today?"

"Hello, this is Kari Lane, executive assistant to Mrs. Angela Tyson from Tyson & Browing", Sam said, while grabbing her laptop from her bag and opening it. "Mrs. Tyson would like to get in touch with the director concerning one of our clients' pieces that you have framed in your gallery." It was the best move to get to Scam, since she didn't have his actual number.

"One moment please", the woman on the other line said. Sam took the opportunity to pull up the gallery's website. It was a page she had saved during her (clearly fruitless) research into Tim Scam to find out more about him before they tried to steal from his personal collection, but the gallery was impossible to get into during the day without an invitation. They were planning on robbing the gallery at nighttime, but they had heard the rumor that Scam moved all his pieces to his home for a private showing in honor of his birthday. Sam thought it was a vapid, egocentric move and mistook Scam for an easy target.

Clearly she was very, very wrong.

The woman on the line spoke again. "I'm sorry. Mr. Harding isn't available after hours. You may call back tomorrow or leave a message."

"That's fine. I'll call back", Sam said, hanging up the phone. She already got what she needed, his name, and started typing Harding into her search engine. Matosia Gallery's website was fantastic at keeping its staff hidden, she thought. It was simultaneously annoying and impressive, and it should have been a warning sign. One that they all ignored.

They had burns before but this one stung, probably because Scam had this way of sneaking under her skin and catching her off guard. She glanced at the roses sitting on the table and grumbled. He wouldn't catch her off guard again. She would make sure of it.

Tyler Harding was a 55 year old gentleman who lived twenty minutes from the gallery. Sam considered her options. If Scam found her this easily, she'd bet he knew of Clover since she was driving the car, and probably Alex since he knew someone stole from him. Sighing, Sam grabbed her phone and called Dean, the only one not on the scene. He picked up relatively quickly.

"Hey, quick favor. I need you to follow Tyler Harding home tomorrow after he leaves the Matosia Gallery", Sam said. Leaving her laptop open on the bed, she quickly began stuffing her belongings in her suitcase. "Just grab his ID and keys to the building, make sure he doesn't catch you. We'll need to get it back to him before he leaves for work."

Dean chuckled over the phone. "What happened to not wanting to get back at Tim Scam? Isn't sneaking into his gallery an act of war?"

Sam sighed again. "He sent flowers to my hotel room, Dean. He already knows how to find me."

"Oh no… You sure you don't want me to hook you up with tickets to Hong Kong? Actually forget the tickets, I could get a jet to you in thirty."

"As much as I'd love to never see Tim Scam again, I'd rather figure out which identity of mine he's burned", Sam said, all while thinking it'd probably be best to move her parents to Australia and let every Samantha, Simpson/Mason/Ambrosa/Bouchard, just die in a random freak accident just to be safe. "Also Clover's right. I'm pissed."

"You can't let this guy get to you. You're too good for that."

"Clearly not!" Sam exclaimed, zipping up her suitcase and placing her laptop back in its bag. "I thought this guy was all parties at his fancy art gallery and took him for an easy mark." She started to tie her hair back into a tight bun so she could fit the nude cap over it.

"This is what happens when I'm vacationing in Tahiti and you guys decide to hit someone without giving me a day to look into him. Listen Sam, I'm pretty sure Tim Scam is Mac Smit, the same Smit who has a dual degree in _aerospace and chemical engineering_ from M.I.T."

Sam dropped the water bottle she just grabbed from the table in shock. " _What."_

Dean sighed, "Yeah, it took me a while to find it, but there's a really old Facebook photo that popped up in my facial recognition search for Scam. One of the students had it up from 2005, and the comments mention Mac Smit but he's not tagged. No Facebook photos or social media of any kind. He barely pays taxes and has no credit cards to speak of. It literally looks like Scam took that alias and wiped it off the internet. I only found his degree by hacking M.I.T.'s bursar."

Sam shut her eyes in agony. This was giving her a headache. "This is bad, Dean. I thought Scam had an art history PhD from UCLA. Now you're telling me he had time for his supposed alias to go to M.I.T. and study aerospace and chemical engineering?"

"Publicly, he has a degree from UCLA. I don't know what else to tell you. We screwed up on this one."

No, Sam thought to herself. _She_ screwed up on this one. They were too impatient. They had spent too much time in this city and thought they could hit Scam fast. By assigning Clover on research while Dean was away, they had fallen into a trap. And she couldn't even blame Clover, she was definitely talented at finding out things about people that they wanted to keep hidden, but Dean was the expert on hacking. This was on her, Sam thought, upset with herself. She was the team's leader and she led them into a trap.

"No… Just do me another favor. Call Clover and Alex, tell them what you found. Tomorrow after you swipe Harding's ID, get a face mask and walk into the gallery. Try to find Scam's office. Hack the cameras, make sure Scam doesn't know you're there."

"You got it boss", Dean said, hanging up. Sam sighed and looked around. Her eyes fell on the roses once again. Slowly, she walked up to them and tried to see if there was a card.

And there it was, a black card, dangling out of sight. Picking it up and turning it over, Sam grumbled as she read the message.

 _ **Till we meet again, -TS.**_

What a jerk, Sam thought. She turned around and grabbed the black wig out of her bag and stood in front of the mirror to put it on. She'd show him. The next time they met, it would be on her terms. Grabbing her suitcase and bag, Sam walked out of the hotel room kept her face hidden from the cameras, before opening the door for the stairs and going down that way.

After five flights of stairs and thanking the stars that she packed light, Sam opened the app on her phone that signaled WOOHP to bring around a company car to the back entrance. She momentarily debated calling Clover and telling her she _may_ have a slight point about getting back at Scam, but then quickly decided she'd rather eat from a garbage can than do that.

Once the car pulled up, the driver got out of the car and helped her with her bags. A text alert came through, and Sam read the preliminary report of the paint dye that they had tested from the piece they stole from Scam's house. Most likely a 96,8% match to the paint used in the early 1900s, something that would fool most, but not WOOHP's screening system.

Probably from his stupid chemical engineering degree, Sam thought, annoyed beyond belief. If she wasn't so frustrated, she'd be a little impressed, and that was probably what worried her. The man obviously knew what he was doing. What she _didn't_ know, was what his end goal was.

Steal paintings and sell them off? Sure, she understood that. Alex had a particular talent for finding good fencers, usually due to sheer dumb luck, so the team had plenty of money saved over in overseas accounts. But to go through the process of forging them and hiding the real pieces? Who had the time or energy to do that?

Obviously a man who enjoyed fooling everyone. How was this the first time anyone ever found out about Scam? And they wouldn't have even known the piece was a forgery; Scam was an expert in making his business look legal and legitimate. They only reason they even _had_ any clue was because…

Because he _told_ her, Sam thought in amazement.

Why _had_ he done that? She wondered. He could have gone his entire life without spoiling the secret, yet without a care, he told her, _knowing_ she had backup whispering into her ear. Knowing that she was trying to rob him right under his nose. But instead of getting angry and screaming or trying to kill her, both of which had happened to them all before, he flirted with her and asked her out?

What was his end game?

She didn't know, and a part of her was worried that they had brought themselves into his territory and crossed his path. Was it because he thought he knew her identity, so she wouldn't blab to the first cop she saw?

Come to think of it, how _did_ he find out her identity? Was it because of what Clover said? He was in her personal space and heard them talking? That even with WOOHP's best communicators, things could go astray?

Or… was it because he already knew?

It _was_ suspiciously easy to get into the party as Melanie Marks, Sam thought. In her haste to hurry, she had made several mistakes that she typically didn't make. She didn't know what was so different about Scam that she thought she could take him on, but it was clear as day: she made a big mistake and now she and her team had to fix it.

But she wasn't entirely sure how. Getting into the Matosia Gallery and finding any weak spots was a decent first step, but getting close to Scam, especially when he might know her real identity, was dangerous. Very, very dangerous. She probably would be best avoiding him for the rest of time.

Except, that's when he called her.

* * *

 **This is so fun to write and I hope you're all enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it! I have a slight idea of where this will go, but do I know how it'll end? Of course not. The joys of being a writer.**

 **Love, Ivy**


End file.
